In order to reduce the sale of counterfeit products, major global brands have teamed up with shipping companies. This joint effort led to the drafting of a document aimed at preventing the transportation of these products by sea.
Fighting Counterfeit Products
Counterfeiting has been growing sharply, leading to significant losses in business and the world economy. This undermines investment in creativity and innovation, damages the quality recognition of brands and can lead to problems related to consumer health and safety.
It is in this context that the International Chamber of Commerce(ICC ) launched BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy) in 2015. BASCAP ‘s primary objective is to connect and mobilize businesses in different industries, sectors and countries in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. The aim of this platform is to communicate the problems of companies in this market to governments, the public and the media. With greater exposure it becomes possible to raise awareness of the existence of these activities and the economic and social dangers inherent in them.
Results of BASCAP’s work
It was BASCAP‘s work, bringing together Brands, Shipowners and Brokers, that made it possible to sign a Declaration of Intent to prevent the transportation of these illegal goods. The declaration was signed in November 2016 and since then they have worked together to draw up guidelines to tackle counterfeit products while they are still in the supply chain.
“Know Your Customer, Due Diligence and Maritime Supply Chain Integrity”
It was this joint effort that made it possible to produce the document entitled “Know Your Customer, Due Diligence and Maritime Supply Chain Integrity”. This launches the best practices to be taken by the maritime industry, leading to a reduction in the transportation of counterfeit products by this route. With this agreement it is hoped to achieve a reduction through a checklist, which helps to verify customers and supply networks in this industry.
Launched last March, this new update moves towards ensuring audit recommendations for existing clients. It also aims to improve the relationship between brands and maritime operators through a series of voluntary measures.
The document was launched on September 26 at the “International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property Crime” conference in Dubai. An INTERPOL and Dubai Police organization.
You can find the document HERE.